Thomas lapfey



(No Model.) 4 T. LAPPEY.

WASHING MACHINE;

Patented June 3,

` UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS LAFFEY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALBERT C. W'ETTENGEL, OF SAME PLACE.

`WASHING -MACHINE.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,538, dated June 3, 1890.

Application filed August 3, 1889.

To all whom, it may concrn:

Be it known that I, THOMAS LAFFEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have nvented ,certain new and use-. ful Improvements in Washing-Machines and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same,

reference being had to the acoompanying Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse seotional View through the vertical driving-shaft, the cylindrical fixed casing, and the spiral pressure-spring on the line a; oc. Fig. 4 is a per-` spective View of one of the vertical guides. Fig. 5 isa vertical sectional View through onehalf of the machine on the line y y of Fig. 1.

To put my invention into practice, I provide a tub a, of suitable size and form of construction, and place in the bottom of the same on a pivot b a false bottom c, having radially attached thereto a series of wooden or other rubbers d, and the said bottom c capable of being given a rapid rotary movement by means of a vertical shaft e, attached thereto, and geared to a crank-shaft f by small bevelpinions g. surrounding this vertical shaft e is a casing 'L', which is provided with longitudinal slots at diametrically-opposite points, and is fixed at its upper end to the cover of the tub, said fixed slotted casing having an inclosed spiral spring 0. On opposite sides of the tub a are attached Vertical guides k, in which one end of the two shafts l opera'te. These horizontal' shafts Z are fitted at their inner approximate ends in the longitudinal slots of the Vertical fixed casing and at their Serial No. 319,(596. (No model.)

outer ends in the longitudinal slots of the vertical fixed guides, said shafts being free to play vertically in the guides and casing and being guided by said parts. The inner ends of the shafts are arranged in the slotted casing so that the lower end of the coiled spring 0 bears thereon, and each shaft carries a roller m, which bears upon the fabrics as they are carried around in the tub by the rotary false bottom c of the machine.

In operation the clothes to be washed are tlrown on the top of the bottom c and suflicient water let into the tub a. The crank 19 is now revolved, which operation revolves the shaft e, the bevel-gearing g, and vertical shaft 'i and bottom c. This bottom,'being in rapid motion, carries the clothes `beneath the rollers m and rotates the rollers by friotion. The friction generated by the rotary movement of the bottom c and that of the two rollers m rapidly washes the clothes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a washing-machine such as described, the combination consisting of the tub a, having a revolving false bottom c,operating on a pivot b, the vertical shaft e, attached thereto, the bevel-gearing g and crank-shaft f, the two rollers m, capable of a limited Vertical movement and operated by the friction of the revolving bottom c, the casing ?I and spring o, and the guides k, attached to opposite sides of the tub a for bearings for the roller-shafts Z, substantially as described.

2. In a washing-machine, the combination, with a receptacle and a rotary bottom, of a vertical tube or casing arranged centrally within the receptacle, the vertical fixed guides arranged on the sides of the tub, the independent horizontal shafts fitted in said fixed guides and in guides on the central tube and carrying the rollers, which are adapted to be driven by frctional contact with the rotary bottom, and a pressure-spring for depressing the horizontal shafts and rollers, substantially as described. v

3. In a washing-machine, substantially as described, the combination, with a tub or receptacle and a vertical shaft carrying a rotary bottom, of avertical fixed casing or tube IOO arranged around the shaft and having the longitudinal Slots, the vertical slotted guides fixed to the tub, the horizontal shafts carrying the rollers and having their ends fitted in the Slots of the vertical tube and guides, and a, pressu'e-spring housed within the vertical tube 01- easing and hearing on the app'oximate ends of both horizontal shafts, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the fo'egoing I IO hereunto afiix my signature this 19th day of March, A. D. 1889.

THOMAS LAFFEY. [L. s.]

In presence of- C. C. LEE, M. E. HARRISON. 

